Growing up Showin!

Our county show was held this past weekend and boy did it go well. Tate had second and third place, and his sister Kaetlon had Champion Pig! We have a blended family and Tate has many sisters, parents and grandparents, and it was an exciting weekend for all of us! Tana visited the show barn many times. The family that she stays with showed a goat, and Tana would tell you that was her show goat. She wants to show pigs and we’re working on a deal so that when she gets old enough she can…but they are staying in someone else’s barn!!! The cows are at our house. In the mean time she wants to show the babies!

We have a set of six calves that will be weaned toward the end of April. Here’s the breakdown: 3 Registered Angus bull calves – two of which I plan to sell and one I would like to show or we will just feed out to go back in our herd in the future. One Registered Angus heifer that we plan on showing, one commercial heifer that will either be shown or just a replacement heifer and one commercial bull that will be a steer soon and go in the pen to be sold – maybe as a show steer. Tana wants to know why these babies won’t come pet her when she’s in the pen. I tell her not to worry because in a few months they will have halters on their heads and she can pet them all she wants. Surely out of these six I can turn one into a pet that she can lead around and have fun with.

There is a picture of me at a very young age with a bottle calf named Rose. While we had many bottle calves in the back yard, Rose was the first one that got a halter. I’m not sure why but I don’t remember being scared. From standing on the catwalk on the family ranch to watching my older cousins begin showing, I couldn’t wait. I remember getting to show extra heifers when we had too many in a class or division and then there came peewee showmanship…my first show was the Brangus Nationals in Texarkana. I think Tana is the same way; she can’t wait to get in that ring! I know she’s only 3 now, but I have no doubt she’s going to be a big helper. She even wanted to take her stick to the show…not sure what her plans were but I decided that wasn’t a good idea!!!

Looking back I had many great teachers and was lucky I was related to so many. Who knew that you could learn so much about showing cattle from your mother! My mom jumped in head first, learned from other adults and helped us every step of the way. Then there was Matt – he was the oldest and learned by trial and error which made it easier for Andy and I. Matt preached that you never let go of that halter too! Andy was the middle cousin and the social butterfly of us all! You never knew whose stalls he would be at! I followed them both, learning as much as I could. Doing minor things, they were the head fitters in the family, but I could do front legs!!! I spent many hours with Matt as he clipped and I scratched bellies, we travelled and had many hours in clipping rooms. How did I learn to fit and clip…by watching…some of the best in the business. So when just a few years ago I picked up a set of clippers for the first time in many years to clip local 4-H heifers…all I did was remember what I had watched and been taught. Who knew you could learn so much from observation!